My Philosophy on Strategy Guides

[Illuminated One]

I must say I don't really like the National Strategy guides.

Imho a guide should be aimed mostly at newbies because they are needing them. An experienced player should be able to asses the strengths of their nations on their own as well as build solid strategies and the fun is imho in doing that and not following a guide only to win.

When I was a complete newbie (well, I am beyond that hopefully, I can't say my strategies are bulletproof and fully efficient they're not a complete waste though) I've read some of them and really understood nothing.
One instance was when it was mentioned how great this nation is at fatigue spells. Well, I couldn't really see the point of why you'd prefer a fatigue spell over a damage spell, until I build my first thug.

I'd rather see the effort that's put into these national guides into more general guides like how do I build/counter thugs/SCs with Nature Magic or Air Magic, how do I counter skellyspam, etc.

[Aezeal]

ehm let's stay on topic

/me gets down on his knee's

PLEASE

[Sombre]

Originally Posted by Redeyes

It feels as if you like a Socratic kind of guide, where the "teacher" has a dialog with the student so he can find his own way of approaching the problem.

No Gandalf prefers a Schizophrenic kind of guide, where the poster has a dialogue with himself.

[vfb]

Originally Posted by Aezeal

ehm let's stay on topic

/me gets down on his knee's

PLEASE

I agree. Illuminated One, there's no need to bring this subject of Strategy Guides up again, when everyone is busy talking about what certain forum members are wearing.

On a completely different topic, I'd be very interested in reading the Definitive Schizophrenic Guide to R'lyeh.

[chrispedersen]

Originally Posted by Illuminated One

I must say I don't really like the National Strategy guides.

Imho a guide should be aimed mostly at newbies because they are needing them. An experienced player should be able to asses the strengths of their nations on their own as well as build solid strategies and the fun is imho in doing that and not following a guide only to win.

When I was a complete newbie (well, I am beyond that hopefully, I can't say my strategies are bulletproof and fully efficient they're not a complete waste though) I've read some of them and really understood nothing.
One instance was when it was mentioned how great this nation is at fatigue spells. Well, I couldn't really see the point of why you'd prefer a fatigue spell over a damage spell, until I build my first thug.

I'd rather see the effort that's put into these national guides into more general guides like how do I build/counter thugs/SCs with Nature Magic or Air Magic, how do I counter skellyspam, etc.

Well, I've been playing as long as anyone, since PPP. I learn things all the time from guides. Plus I can't even usually remember how to play a race I've ignored for a few months. So guides help me recall.

[thejeff]

Plus the type of thinking used in specific strategy guides can give you ideas on other strategies for other nations.

You get some of that from seeing what others throw at you in MP, but since you often can't tell how they got to that point it doesn't help as much.

[chrispedersen]

Not to mention, that guides help you see what other nations are capable of throwing at you.

[chrispedersen]

Hey Baalz

Instead of writing more national guides... for a bit.. how about writing a series of guides on how to attack particular nations.

Niefle, Caelum, Ashdod and Hinnom come to mind, perhaps giving the best common avenues for all races, and then if any individual race has an advantage mention that. (Sauromatia v hinnom for example)

[Tifone]

Mmmh, how to do that chris? I think there's an enormous difference between the E9N9 Jarls Niefel and the Niefel of Baalz's guide. As there's a huge difference between a stealthy pangaea and a blessed white centaurs pangaea and a cbm carrion woods pangaea... not to mention the distinctions among all the ways to play sauro (sacreds, cavalry, thugs, blood...)... I think fighting a nation is too situational. The important things are your weapons, when you know these you should know how to react to the enemies' ones (which may vary), not the other way round. Just my opinion

[Redeyes]

If any non-nation guide would be intersting, I had think it would be an anti-sc guide.
Perhaps it would be divided along what magical paths you have got access to, perhaps how to build a thug who tackles SCs well.

What I have often have seen here is that the end-game gets homogenized, no matter what nation you are, and SCs are a part of the game but especially the endgame.

If anyones going to write a guide to counters, I think that's the one to start with.
Would probably help many people. Me especially (I think...)